Three dimensional antenna system

ABSTRACT

ANTENNA SYSTEM COMPRISING SIX LIKE LINEAL CONDUCTORS OF EQUAL LENGTH AND DISPOSED ON AXES RADIATING FROM A COMMON CENTER, EACH CONDUCTOR BEING AT AN ANGLE OF 90 DEGREES FROM THE ADJACENT FOUR ELEMENTS, AND SWITCHING MEANS IN THE CENTER AREA TO CONNECT COMBINATIONS OF THREE ADJACENT CONDUCTORS TO ONE LEAD-IN AND THE REMAINING CONDUCTORS TO THE OTHER LEAD-IN.

1971 a. A. BONADIO THREE DIMENTIONAL ANTENNA SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1968 INVENTOR. GEORGE A. BONADIO. w

FIG. 2

ATTORNEY 1971 G. A. BONADIO 3,562,755

' THREE DIMENTIONAL ANTENNA SYSTEM Filed July 5, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

GEORGE A. BONADIO.

BY hvkw ATTORHEI Feb. 9, 1971 G. A. BONADIO 3,562,755

I THREE DIMENTIONAL ANTENNA SYSTEM Filed July 5, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet S I03 53 F I 0. 6

INVENTOR, GEORGE A. BONADIO.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,562,755 THREE DIMENSIONAL ANTENNA SYSTEM George A. Bonadio, 12 Public Square, Watertown, N.Y. '13601 Filed July 5, 1968, Ser. No. 742,663 Int. Cl. H01q 21/00, 21/24 U.S. Cl. 343853 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to antenna system for radio and television use and adapted to radiate electromagnetic radio waves simultaneously in three dimensions.

Radio antenna systems generally radiate primarily in one dimension represented by the radiating element as in the Hertz dipole for example. While there are some variations, such as the quad, rhombic or conical types, none provide two dimensions as disclosed in my Pat. No. 3,274,606 issued Sept. 20, 1966. In my Pat. No. 3,453,635 issued July 1, 1969, there is shown a four element antenna to provide a three dimensional system, with certain switching advantages.

The present invention is directed to an antenna system wherein three elements are employed, so disposed as to effect the maximum separation of 90 degrees between any two of the three elements whereby to effect the maximum possible three dimensional diversity of propogation and reception. In one form, the three elements are fed at the ground plane, while variations employ two sets of three elements adapted to be fed against each other instead of against the ground. Where two sets are employed, the six elements are disposed so that any one element extends at a right angle to four of the other elements and is aligned with the remaining element. Thus with suitable switching, four differently directed three dimensional effects may be obtained.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a six element antenna according to the invention, with the elements radiating from a central support;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the antenna of FIG. 1 with elements considerably shortened;

FIG. 3 is a similar antenna with the elements supported from masts, but without vertical polarization;

FIG. 4 is a three element antenna with the elements fed at the ground plane;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of switching means for any ofthesix element forms; and

FIG. 6 is a further mast supported variation and like FIG. 3 is adapted to longer wavelengths, but like FIGS. 1 and 2 with vertical polarization.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a switching relay housing, which for illustrative purposes is in the form of a cube 20 mounted with one of the cubes internal space diagonals 22 disposed on a vertical axis and supported on a vertical pole or mast 24, in alignment with the diagonal 22. Such diagonal extends from the pole to the apex 25 of the cube housing. Extending from the center of each of the six faces of the cube, and normal thereto, are conductors, each of which may be in the form of a whip antenna and all of identical length. The conductors are indicated at 26, 28 and 30, and 32, 34 and 36. It will be seen that the angle between each pair of adjacent conductors, measured in the common plane of the adjacent pair of conductors is 90, while the horizontal angle between the three vertical planes in which the conductors 26 and 32, and 28 with 34, and 30 with 36 lie is and the angle between the three vertical planes in which the conductors 26, 28 and 30 lie is 120", as is also the angle between the three vertical planes in which the conductors 32, 34 and 36 lie.

In order to permit the conductors to be constructed as light as possible, and to utilize whip antenna for the purpose, the tips of the conductors may be interconnected by nylon thread or other strong insulating cord, whereby to eliminate vibration and to maintain the conductors rigid against away and droop and in the desired angular relation to one another. Such cords as 40, 42 and 44 will connect the ends of the conductors 26, 28 and 30 together, while cords 46, 48 and 50 will connect conductors 32, 34 and 36 together. Further, cords 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62 as indicated will complete the interconnection between the conductor tips to provide a rigid, but light structure, with conductors of relatively small diameter, and hence offering little obstruction to air currents. While in FIG. 2, cords are shown, they may be omitted if the individual elements have sufiicient stiffness to maintain their relative positions without deflection.

Each conductor is insulated from the others. For lead in connections, any three adjacent conductors, such as 26, 36 and 34 may be connected together within the housing 20, as at 64 and the remaining conductors 28, 30 and 32 connected together within the housing as at 66, and the connections 64 and 66 connected to a lead in comprising feeders 68 and 70. If desired remote controlled switching may be disposed in the housing 20 to vary the connections. In practice feeder 68 may be permanently connected to conductor 26, and feeder 70 permanently connected to conductor 32, which is aligned with conductor 26. The connections shown, that is feeder 68 connected with conductors 26, 34 and 36, and feeder 70 connected with conductors 28, 30 and 32 may be altered to three other sets of connections while retaining the fixed connection of the feeder 68 and 70 to conductors 26 and 32. The other connections would then be feeder 68 and conductors 26, 30, 34, or 26, 28, 30, or 26, 28 and 36, While feeder 70 would be connected to conductors 28, 32, 36, or 32, 34 and 36, or 30, 32 and 34 respectively.

For this purpose a ganged rotary switch as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. may be provided, the switch having two sets of four contacts, and rotary fan blades such as 80 and 82 being ganged together, the fan blades being connected to feeders 68 and 70 respectively and conductors 26 and 32 while the switch points are con nected as shown to the conductors 28, 30, 34 and 36.

In practice the housing 20 may be an 8 inch cube and the conductors 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 each 9 feet or 108 inches in length, and the transmission line may comprise feeders 68 and 70 of #4 wire spaced apart by the diameter of one strand. Such an antenna is highly suitable for frequency modulation, television, amateur, military and commercial short waves, and civilian broadcast, and is suitable for rooftop mounting, an optimum elevation of the center being approximately 20 meters, or 66 feet, above surrounding land. It may be furnished with a given transmission line and precalibrated tuner for any wavelengths.

Another version of the antenna using longer conductors may utilize three masts of equal height disposed at the apices of an equilateral triangle as indicated in FIG. 6. In such case a similar cube housing 20 enclosing suitable switching is provided with six conductors affixed to and extending through the center of each side of the housing and normal thereto. The conductors 100, 102 and 104 extend to insulators at the upper end of the masts 101, 103 and 105, while conductors 106, 108 and 110 of like length are connected to strain insulators 112, 114 and 116, and gay wires of nylon cords 1'18, 120 and 122 extending to ground anchors at 124, 126 and 128. The angle bet-ween the conductors 100, 102, and 104, and their respective masts 101, 103 and 105 will be approximately 54.8 degrees and as before, adjacent conductors will be at 90 degrees, as measured in the common plane of the conductors. With masts 99 feet high and the strain insulators located 33 feet above ground, the length of each of the conductors, using an 8" cube housing for switching, will be about 56.9 feet to achieve the 90 angle between adjacent conductors, or such lesser length as may be necessary to accommodate strain insulators. The masts for such an installation would be dis-posed at the apices of an equilateral triangle, each side of which would be approximately 81.2 feet. As before, the switching by relays and connections to the transmission line indicated at 130 and 132 respectively, may be the same as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

A further version of the antenna may take the form indicated in FIG. 3, wherein masts 150 and 152 are provided which may be 100 feet high and spaced 70.70 feet, and masts 154 and 156 about 64.65 feet high are provided at a spacing of 100 feet, the masts 150 and 152 lying in a plane at right angles to the plane of the masts 154 and 156. Stretched between masts 154 and 156 are two aligned horizontal conductors 158 and 160, each 50 feet long, and stretched between positions at the upper end and 29.3 feet above ground of masts 150 and 152 are conductors 162, 164, 166 and 168, each 50 feet long and extending 45 from horizontal, and all lying in a single vertical plane. Again the trigonometrical dimensions are chosen such that each of the six conductors are at an angle of 90 degrees to any adjacent conductor. Each of the two feeders of a transmission line 170 may be connected to the conductors such that one feeder is connected to any three adjacent conductors and the other feeder connected to the remaining conductors, the two sets being electrically insulated from each other at the center 17.2 of the array. If switching is desired, a relay switch housing such as 20 may be interposed at 172, and if cubical as before, the cube is oriented to allow each conductor to extend normal to and from the center of one face of the cube.

A further version of the antenna is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein three conductors 200, 202 and 204 of equal length, and disposed in vertical planes 120 degrees apart, and set at an angle so that adjacent conductors are 90 degrees apart as measured in the plane of the adjacent conductors are provided. The upper ends of the conductors may be supported on three like masts 206 disposed at the apices of an equilateral triangle. All conductors are joined as at 208 at ground level and the leadin may consist of a central conductor .210 of a coaxial conductor cable, the outer shell 212 of which is grounded. Each wire will bear an angle of 35.2 degrees to the horizontal.

It will be understood that the antennas of FIGS. 1 and 2 and 4 and 6 may be said to use vertical polarization by reason of the vertical axis forming in effect an axis for the elements 26, 28 and 30, whereas in FIG. 3, 'while the six elements are all of the same length, and bear the same degree relationship between adjacent elements, no axis about which any three adjacent elements may be said to be disposed, is vertical. If desired a switching relay housing may be supported at the convergence of the six elements as at 172, having the circuitry of FIG. 5. The arrangement is for fixed station use or short medium or lOng wave transmission or reception, and not using vertical polarization.

The arrangement of FIG. 4 is suitable for broadcasting bands, and alleviates the annoyance of transistor receivers having to be oriented to prevent signal neutralization or nulls.

The arrangement of FIG. 6 is adapted for a fixed station which can use the vertical polarization mode as one of its possible switching modes, in which the upper three elements are on one feeder and the lower three on the other feeder.

While a single embodiment with variations of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna system comprising three like lineal elements of equal length with each element disposed entirely on an axis radiating from a common center, and each element having its inner end disposed at the same distance from the common center, and each element being at an angle of substantially 90 degrees from the adjacent two elements, and each element bearing an angle of approximately 54.8 degrees from an exis extending through the center and centrally with respect to the three elements.

2. An antenna system according to claim 1 wherein a second set of three like elements are provided extending on axis radiating from the center in directions substantially opposite from each of the first three elements and three adjacent elements are connected together and insulated from the remaining elements.

3. An antenna system according to claim 2 wherein each of the six elements is at an angle of substantially 90 degrees from each of four adjacent elements, and wherein switching means are provided in the center area to connect combinations of three adjacent elements to one leadin and the remaining elements to the other lead-in.

4. An antenna system according to claim 1 wherein the common center is at approximately ground level and the central axis substantially perpendicular thereto, and a single lead-in from the three elements is provided in the form of the central conductor of a coaxial cable, the outer sheath of which is grounded.

5. An antenna system according to claim 3 wherein the switching means is disposed in a central housing of cubical shape having six square faces, and in which the six elements each radiate from the center of a housing face normal to the face, whereby any one element bears an angle of substantially ninety degrees to four adjacent elements and is in substantial alignment with the remaining element, extending oppositely.

6 6. A antenna system according to claim 5 wherein the 2,341,558 2/1944 Kandoian 343853X housing is disposed with a long diagonal passing through 2,374,271 4/1945 Brown 343-853X the cube center extending substantially vertically. 2,937,374 5/1960 Cork 343-814 7. An antenna system according to claim 3 wherein 3 353 237 12 19 7 Brueckmann 343 53 each of the elements are relatively resilient and unsup- 5 3 354 459 11 19 7 Schwartz et 1 343 796 ported at their outer ends, and in which insulating stays connect the adjacent elements adjacent their outer ends HERMAN SAALBACH Primary Examiner whereby to hold the elements on their respective axes.

S. CHATMON, 1a., Assistant Examiner References Cited 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS US. Cl. X.R.

1,715,701 6/1929 Fortescue 343853X 343-797, 814, 854 2,289,856 7/1942 Alford 343853X 

